Practical Classroom: Kaoru Hanayama's Classroom of Merit

Huashan quietly patted the tiny wood shavings off his palm.

The crushed pencil fragments fell silently into the wastepaper basket.

The man's deep and murky displeasure was swiftly and decisively quelled in that brief moment.

(I have no right to interfere with the rules on someone else's turf.)

Having convinced himself of this, Huashan took out his spare pencil and faced the notebook once more.

In subsequent classes, the situation in Class D was not much different from when Chazhu was in class.

Most teachers turn a blind eye to the students' lax and undisciplined attitude.

There was one exception: Majima Satoshi, who was in charge of the English class.

He did not let his teaching stop at simply reciting from the textbook, but instead taught lively and engaging English that could attract students' interest.

Most importantly, he would keep a close eye on those whispering students that he couldn't stand, until they quieted down.

(That's what a teacher should be like.)

Only at that time would Huashan nod slightly.

Because within his sound value system, Mashima's attitude is convincing.

Finally, all the morning classes ended, and the lunch break bell rang throughout the school.

"Everyone! If you don't mind, how about we go to the cafeteria together next time? We haven't really talked much yet, so let's eat together and get to know each other better."

Hirata Yosuke, who was steadily establishing his central position in the class, was inviting those around him with a refreshing smile, and groups of men and women walked out of the classroom in twos and threes.

On the other hand, Huashan had no intention of joining.

He sat in his seat, slowly flipping through the thick notebook.

He was silently reading aloud in order to memorize the blackboard writing that he had copied that morning.

As for filling his stomach, he planned to make do with the extra-large fried noodle bread and carton milk he bought at the convenience store that morning.

At the next table, Horikita Suzune avoided eye contact with anyone and took out a small sandwich from her bag.

They both disapproved of the idea of ​​gathering in large groups.

Hirata seemed to sense the rejection or aloofness emanating from the two, so he didn't force them to join him. He simply left the classroom with a "thank you for your hard work."

Only a handful of students remained in the classroom, the only sounds being the quiet chewing and turning of pages.

Huashan's gaze never left his laptop. He grabbed the fried noodle bread, which was about three times the size of a normal-sized loaf, with one hand and casually put it into his mouth.

Despite their hearty eating style, not a single breadcrumb fell on the table.

The etiquette and manners of the Yakuza are deeply ingrained in every movement of Huashan.

Just then, an electronic voice came from the speaker installed above the classroom.

"Attention all new students. An information session on club activities will be held this afternoon at 5:00 PM in the First Gymnasium. Interested students are encouraged to attend."

The moment he heard that broadcast, Huashan stopped chewing.

His gaze shifted to the speaker, a clear look of concern appearing on his face.

Horikita, who hadn't missed the subtle change, opened his mouth after swallowing the sandwich.

"I think it's unlikely, but you're not planning to attend a club information session, are you?"

Hanayama swallowed the rest of the fried bread and slowly turned towards Horikita.

"Yes. After all, it's a rare opportunity."

Horikita tilted her head slightly.

"Let me ask you something... do you understand what club activities are all about?"

"I graduated from a public junior high school, after all. I know what that level of education is like."

When faced with Hanayama's indifferent reply, Horikita paused slightly, searching for the right words.

She was aware that if this were said to an ordinary person, it wouldn't be surprising to be yelled at for "meddling," as it would be extremely rude.

However, she had a strange sense of trust in Huashan, who could "make sense of her," which made her attitude slightly gentler than usual.

"It might be a bit rude of me to say this, but you look like a delinquent. I can't imagine you taking sports or cultural activities seriously at all. Why are you interested in clubs?"

Hanayama showed no anger whatsoever at Horikita's barbed words.

In fact, he had long ago thoroughly understood how ordinary people would view themselves.

"If I had to give reasons, there would be a few."

Huashan raised one finger.

"First. In junior high, because of... no, because of a mountain of family issues, I didn't experience any club activities. In high school, I made a promise with my family that I would graduate as an ordinary high school student."

(Group...? Just now, he must have swallowed some inappropriate word.)

Horikita was internally complaining, but on the surface he remained calm.

"Your promise to your family? You're surprisingly family-oriented. And the second point?"

Huashan raised his second finger.

"Secondly, this is a school that champions meritocracy. Those who achieve excellent results in club activities should naturally receive some form of reward."

"Compensation? You mean personal points?"

"In a typical school, it might be something like honors or trophies, but in this school, the most valuable thing is points. As such, clubs have the potential to become a goldmine."

A very reasonable guess. Horikita's expression turned slightly serious.

"...I can't deny it. So, what's the third point?"

Huashan slowly raised his third finger, then crossed his thick arms on the table.

"You saw today's class, didn't you? Apart from those with backbone like Ms. Majima, the other teachers completely ignored classroom rules. I guess the school administration gave instructions not to interfere with the students."

Huashan's deep voice, while making the classroom air heavy, also carried an incredible sense of reassurance.

"Hiding the rules and watching how we react—that's their job. I don't like to make things difficult for people who are forced to do their jobs because of orders from above; it's just too inconsiderate of me to cause them trouble."

"So you've concluded that you can't get any information about the school from the teachers, right? If that's the case, what does it have to do with the clubs?"

Horikita asked tentatively.

"It's very simple. If the adults are tight-lipped, then just pry the children's mouths open."

Huashan revealed a slightly ferocious smile.

"No matter what, they're just a bunch of kids, and there are a lot of them. Getting information out of them is a piece of cake."

Horikita Suzune's hand, which was holding the sandwich, had completely stopped.

She always believed that she was more hardworking and smarter than her foolish classmates.

In order to catch up with her brother, she was arrogant and determined to live longer than any of her peers.

But in front of Kaoru Hanayama, she felt that her thinking was as simplistic as a child's game.

"...You..."

Horikita let out a small sigh and shifted his gaze slightly away from Hanayama's face.

"He speaks with such conviction, he sounds like a middle-aged office worker, it's really creepy."

That was her most declarative declaration of defeat, and also a bluff to mask the admiration she was giving.

"Uncle...?"

Huashan looked stunned for a moment, but quickly let out a short chuckle.